EOL for my 660

Tue, 12/18/2018 - 8:32am

JanJ

10 years

My Poor 660! It has put up with so much!

Lifetime Maps purchased so long ago I've forgotten when..
Found this place nearly 10 years ago.... POI's became a great addition to 660!
When Internal memory would not support maps, deleted un-needed files and continued on...
Replaced battery when it wouldn't hold a charge...
When map wouldn't load internally, started loading Maps on SD Card! Alternated between SD cards so I'd have a backup, and continued on.....
When Maps wouldn't fit, reduced downloaded maps to Lower 48 on SD card... and continued on..
Couldn't back up system files... Directory Scrambled, yet it still works... and updates.... and Loads POI's.... Continued on....
4-5 years ago, Power connection--traffic connection on 660 rear ceased to function... Made a Custom USB Cable to power 660 via USB on side... and continued on... less traffic receiver...

660 Resided in our luggage.... For use with rental cars, after we bought 2689LMT's...

But it Looks like with the loss of loading the Lower 48 on SD card, and Maps limited to just a quadrant of lower 48 will be the end of our 660...

It's had an amazing run, and I believe we have definately got our money's worth!

660 (and others) can hold complete 2019.30 NA

This has been discussed here before, but using MapInstall will do it. This should work for other units that have a 2 Gb map size limit & an SD card installed.

Do a backup of the complete unit, including the SD card.

Next you need to delete all the unneeded or unnecessary files. Delete all the voice and help files that are in a language that you don't speak.

Also, in the "Garmin Nuvi/Garmin" directory do a "sort by date' and delete all the old license key files (file type ".GMA"). You should leave the latest 3 from the last map update. Note: Not necessary, but a just in case you change your mind or have D/L problems.

Use Garmin Express to download the entire map to the computer only. Be sure that you do it using the 660 icon (or your particular model) so you will have the correct license keys.

Close GE and open MapInstall.

In the first panel, select "nuvi (Unit ID xxxxxxxxxx)" in the dropdown and then select "Continue".

Zoom the map out until the lower 48 states are showing.
NOTE: You MUST to use the buttons to navigate the in map!!! Once in a while the scroll wheel will work for zooming, but mostly it doesn't.

The LEFT mouse button SELECTS a state/province/section and you can hold the left button down and drag the cursor to multi-select.

The RIGHT mouse button UNSELECTS a state/province/section and you can hold the right button down and drag the cursor to multi-unselect.

Select all the lower 48.
Note: You will have to zoom in and pan across the Northern and southern borders to ensure that all US sections are selected and all Canadian and Mexican sections are not selected.

Note: The progress bar below the map is now Red and shows how much you are over the 2 Gb map limit.

It is important to remember what sections are "unselected" in the next step. Maps should not "overlap". This will cause problems!!!!!!!

I start "unselecting" sections in S. California and work my way north up the coast, while watching the progress bar. You may want to start somewhere else - it doesn't matter, it's just that CA is on the other coast from me.

When the progress bar turns GREEN, it indicates that you are at or below the 2 Gb map size limit.
Note: If a partial state is left selected, I unselect the rest of the state as it makes it easier to remember what I did. I unselected all of CA, OR & WA and the map size was 1.73 Gb. Used to be just CA & OR that I had to unselect.

Select "Continue" and install the map to the 660.

Once the install is complete, delete ALL the MAP files on the SD card. You can leave the Music and/or other files on the card.

Open Mapinstall and select the "nuvi Memory card (X:)" in the device dropdown and select "Continue".

Select all the files that were NOT selected for the map in the Nuvi main memory.
Note: Everything that was not selected before will be less than 2 Gb. This includes Alaska, Canada, Hawaii, St. Lucia, the Bahamas and French Guiana and others. At least until the map size exceeds 4 Gb. Then I guess we'll have to try 3 maps. LOL
Note: Be sure to zoom in and pan to ensure that no duplicate sections are selected and that no sections are missed along the Canadian and Mexican borders.

Select "Continue" and install the map to the SD card.

Both maps should now be available on the Nuvi. Unplug the USB cable and allow Nuvi to boot.

In the Main Menu, select the "Wrench" + "MAP" + "Map Info" (Other models may be different - see owners manual)

2 maps should be listed. Ensure that both have check marks and return to main screen

That's it.

It's a little complicated, but once you do it a couple of times it's fairly easy.

This was rather long, but older Nuvi owners can use this and I hope it helps someone.

My 680 has been retired for

2019.30 Maps

metricman - Thanks for taking the time to type out that lengthy procedure. I decided to give it a try. It seems to have worked.

But I must say, when Garmin abandoned Map Updater and forced us to use GE, it made updating older units like the 660 a royal PITA! Map Updater was so much simpler - East region on the main unit internal memory and then the West region on the SD card (which I could plug into a higher speed SD card reader) with no concern of gaps or overlaps in the final map.

I spent a lot of time zooming in and out of the Map Install map (which you can't even make full screen) selecting regions being so careful not to end up with gaps or overlaps.

Glad to have helped

Gary A wrote:

metricman - Thanks for taking the time to type out that lengthy procedure. I decided to give it a try. It seems to have worked.

But I must say, when Garmin abandoned Map Updater and forced us to use GE, it made updating older units like the 660 a royal PITA! Map Updater was so much simpler - East region on the main unit internal memory and then the West region on the SD card (which I could plug into a higher speed SD card reader) with no concern of gaps or overlaps in the final map.

I spent a lot of time zooming in and out of the Map Install map (which you can't even make full screen) selecting regions being so careful not to end up with gaps or overlaps.

Garmin needs to make it easier by offering regions in GE.

Like I said - PITA! (thanks Garmin)

Gary A

I'm glad that it helped. Although I could have made it much shorter, I thought it best to explain all the quirks of the software to reduce the frustration when using it. It is a little klunky, but it does install the complete mapset - if you have a SD card.

Maybe GE is the way it is (not supporting older models with SD cards) as a way to get owners to upgrade.

I'll never use all of the sections that I install, I do it just because I can.